backdrop
Americannoun
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especially British, back-cloth. Theater. the rear curtain of a stage setting.
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the background of an event; setting.
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Gymnastics. a maneuver in which a trampolinist jumps in the air, lands on the back with the arms and legs pointed upward, and then springs up to a standing position.
verb (used with object)
noun
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another name for backcloth
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the background to any scene or situation
Usage
What does backdrop mean? Backdrop refers to the background or setting of a situation or event.It can refer to something physically located in the background of something else, such as a backdrop used for a photo shoot. It can also be used figuratively to refer to circumstances that surround an event, as in a backdrop of scandal and accusations of fraud. More specifically, a backdrop is the curtain that hangs at the back of the stage in a theater, as in We have to fix the rips in the backdrop before the big show. Less commonly, backdrop can also be used as a verb to mean providing a background for something, as in The towering trees backdropped the outdoor photo shoot. Example: The film took place against the backdrop of World War II and featured major events from the war.
Etymology
Origin of backdrop
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The earnings backdrop makes it easier to see how the market could climb higher this year, despite a chaotic news cycle.
From Barron's
The earnings backdrop makes it easier to see how the market could climb higher this year, despite a chaotic news cycle.
From Barron's
Shares of banks have recently outperformed their nonbank mortgage rivals, even against the backdrop of falling mortgage rates, which ought to be a big boost to refinance activity.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies meet Sunday with a familiar dilemma: add barrels to the market or continue holding back against a fragile geopolitical backdrop.
“Unemployment has now reached its highest level in nearly five years, and this is increasing concerns about job security, particularly given the backdrop of weak wage growth,” Bellamy said.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
